Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of expert salary by state for the United States in 2026:
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California has the highest expert salary of $118,020
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Oklahoma has the lowest expert salary of $62,809
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The national average salary for experts is $94,068
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The national hourly pay for experts is $45.23
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In today’s job market, salary continues to be the most crucial factor for professionals evaluating job opportunities. Understanding how much experts earn in various locations can significantly impact career decisions.
While individual salaries can vary based on numerous factors, including experience, skills, and specific industries, data on average salaries for experts by state provides a solid foundation for expectations.
As of 2026, California remains the state with the highest average salary for experts.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for expert salaries:
Let’s take a look at how we got here and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Experts By State
| Rank | State | Average Expert Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $118,020 | $66,000 | $210,000 |
| 2 | New York | $111,556 | $70,000 | $177,000 |
| 3 | Washington | $105,155 | $58,000 | $190,000 |
| 4 | Oregon | $102,540 | $55,000 | $187,000 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $98,191 | $61,000 | $156,000 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $97,139 | $61,000 | $154,000 |
| 7 | Hawaii | $96,294 | $53,000 | $174,000 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $96,118 | $59,000 | $155,000 |
| 9 | Delaware | $94,692 | $58,000 | $153,000 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $92,643 | $57,000 | $148,000 |
| 11 | Alaska | $90,370 | $50,000 | $162,000 |
| 12 | Maine | $89,419 | $56,000 | $142,000 |
| 13 | Illinois | $86,879 | $49,000 | $151,000 |
| 14 | Virginia | $86,369 | $51,000 | $143,000 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $84,941 | $53,000 | $135,000 |
| 16 | Vermont | $83,102 | $51,000 | $133,000 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $82,326 | $47,000 | $144,000 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $81,938 | $45,000 | $148,000 |
| 19 | Texas | $81,439 | $42,000 | $157,000 |
| 20 | Michigan | $80,762 | $48,000 | $134,000 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $80,506 | $50,000 | $128,000 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $79,599 | $44,000 | $141,000 |
| 23 | Idaho | $79,032 | $41,000 | $151,000 |
| 24 | Missouri | $77,954 | $41,000 | $144,000 |
| 25 | Ohio | $77,520 | $45,000 | $130,000 |
| 26 | Georgia | $76,714 | $41,000 | $142,000 |
| 27 | Maryland | $76,652 | $46,000 | $125,000 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $76,094 | $41,000 | $140,000 |
| 29 | Arizona | $75,910 | $38,000 | $149,000 |
| 30 | Nevada | $75,896 | $38,000 | $149,000 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $75,535 | $39,000 | $143,000 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $74,872 | $42,000 | $131,000 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $74,211 | $38,000 | $144,000 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $73,071 | $42,000 | $126,000 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $73,011 | $43,000 | $123,000 |
| 36 | Indiana | $72,763 | $41,000 | $127,000 |
| 37 | Colorado | $72,613 | $37,000 | $140,000 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $72,024 | $37,000 | $138,000 |
| 39 | Montana | $71,388 | $37,000 | $135,000 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $70,367 | $39,000 | $126,000 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $70,013 | $37,000 | $129,000 |
| 42 | Iowa | $69,651 | $38,000 | $126,000 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $69,385 | $34,000 | $138,000 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $69,043 | $36,000 | $130,000 |
| 45 | Florida | $68,676 | $36,000 | $130,000 |
| 46 | Utah | $67,631 | $34,000 | $134,000 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $65,851 | $34,000 | $127,000 |
| 48 | Kansas | $65,810 | $34,000 | $125,000 |
| 49 | Alabama | $64,377 | $33,000 | $121,000 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $62,809 | $32,000 | $121,000 |
Methodology: Expert Salary By State
To better understand expert pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data across a multitude of channels including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. We then supplement that data with actual listed salaries from job posts. Finally, the data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to create an average pay for experts by state.
We took the average annual salary data for experts from these estimates and ranked every state based on this criterion, with the state having the highest salary ranking first.
Expert Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for experts?
The highest-paid state for experts is California with an average salary of $118,020 per year.
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What city pays experts the most?
San Francisco, CA pays experts the most with an average salary of $134,147 per year.
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What is the worst state for experts?
The worst state for experts is Oklahoma with an average salary of $62,809 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
